Total costs and engagement with board members of Scottish National Investment Bank: FOI release

Information requested

The total costs incurred by the Scottish National Investment Bank from 2014 to the present day. This is to include all secretariat staffing costs, daily board member fees and expenses, events, publications and office-running costs. You also asked for a record of all engagement between board members and Scottish Government ministers and Cabinet Secretaries from 2014 to the present day.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. I enclose the following information in response to your request.

In response to your request seeking the total costs incurred by the Scottish National Investment Bank from 2014 to the present day. The Scottish National Investment Bank vested on 23 November 2020. The total costs incurred by the Bank between vesting and 31 August 2021 is £6.9 million. This figure is an aggregate of information drawn from audited accounts and unaudited management information available at the time of the request.

The Scottish Government does not hold any of the information you requested for the period 1 September 2021 and the date of your request (5 October 2021). This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

Any queries about detailed costs incurred by the Bank should be addressed to the Bank by emailing enquiries@thebank.scot and they may be able to help you.

You may also be interested in looking at the Bank’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published on the Bank’s website at https://www.thebank.scot/media/31gd5hay/scottishnationalinvestment-bankannual-report-and-accounts-fy21-signed.pdf.

We also recently provided information on the total Scottish Government set up costs for establishing the Bank and this (and accompanying tables) is published on the Parliament’s website at:
https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previouscommittees/session-6-net-zero-energy-and-transport-committee/correspondence/2021/set-up andoperating- costs-of-the-scottish-national-investment-bank.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

In response to your request seeking a record of all engagement between board members and Scottish Government ministers and Cabinet Secretaries from 2014 to the present day is as follows. As the Bank was vested on 23 November 2020 such persons only became board members from that date.

Some of the information you have requested is otherwise accessible at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy. In order to assist, I have listed the meetings below (with those in italics being that information which is otherwise accessible as mentioned above):

Date	Cab Sec / Min	Board Member(s)	Type of engagement
4/12/20	Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture	Eilidh Mactaggart, Willie Watt	Meeting / Video Conference
15/1/21	Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture	Eilidh Mactaggart	Meeting / Video Conference
29/1/21	Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture	Eilidh Mactaggart, Willie Watt	Meeting / Video Conference
3/2/21	Cabinet Secretary for Finance	Eilidh Mactaggart, Sarah Roughead	Meeting / Video Conference
11/2/21	Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity	Eilidh Mactaggart	Meeting
17/2/21	Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands	Eilidh Mactaggart	Meeting / Video Conference
24/2/21	Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism	Eilidh Mactaggart	Meeting / Video Conference
26/2/21	Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture	Eilidh Mactaggart, Sarah Roughead	Meeting / Video Conference
16/6/21	Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy	Eilidh Mactaggart, Willie Watt, Sarah Roughead	Meeting / Video Conference
21/7/21	Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy	Willie Watt	Meeting / Video Conference
1/9/21	Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy	Willie Watt	Meeting / Video Conference
2/9/21	Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy	Board*	Meeting / Video Conference
28/9/21	Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport	Willie Watt	Meeting

* information detailing the Bank’s board members is available on the Bank’s website at: https://www.thebank.scot/freedom-of-information/disclosure-statement/.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.